Climber
by Nerdeology-000
Summary: One shot! After Cole fails to complete the triple tiger sashay, his mother takes him up a mountain.


Cole sat in the backseat of the car.

Bitterness welled up in his chest and throat. He fingered at the velcro strap on the splint over his wrist.

His mom had taken him to the hospital and doctors confirmed he had broken his nose and minorly sprained his wrist. Only should be in the splint for a week.

The scene replayed in Cole's head again and again. The dance went fine. He was on beat and had the crowd wowing at the quartet. Then was the Triple Tiger Sashay.

He has trained and trained and trained. His father enrolled him extra lessons for it.

His big moment right?

Not the way he imagined it.

He leaped and attempted to continue on to the second part, before his arm collapsed under the weight and momentum.

Spoiler alert he fell flat on his face and embarrassed himself at the biggest performance he's ever had. And he was seven.

Cole crossed his arms remembering the chaos that had happened afterwards.

"You shouldn't put so much pressure on yourself Cole."

Cole looked up slightly to see his mom's face in the mirror.

She sighs keeping her eye on the road. "You're a wonderful dancer sweetie. I wish you knew how good you were."

Cole stayed silent tears welling up in his eyes.

"I know your father puts a lot of pressure on you. It's not because he's disappointed. It's because he's proud."

Her tender voice washed over him like a gentle wave over the water.

"Thanks Mommy." He said softly.

Though Cole couldn't see her face he felt her smile.

"Look there Cole." She pointed out the right side window. "Check out that mountain."

Cole turned his head. His mother was pointing out a rocky cliffside at the end of the road.

"Isn't it beautiful." She murmured.

Cole studied it for a moment. "Yeah."

"I have an idea."

The car took a sudden swerve down the right side exit earning a honk from the car behind him.

Cole gripped the seatbelts as he jolted from the momentum.

"Mom?" He asked.

"We're going to do something fun sweetie." She passed Cole her cell phone. "Tell your father I found a nice mountain."

Cole took the phone looking between it and his mother. Then back at the mountain.

"Okay mommy."

o0O0o

Cole let out a grunt as his mother tightened the harness around his small waist.

He looked up the steep surface of the mountain rubbing the cast on his wrist.

His mom sent him a sympathetic smile.

"It'll be fine Cole. And when we finish we'll be on top of the mountain. Or at least to that ledge right there. "

She tugged on his harness than her own securing that it would catch her and more importantly, her son.

"So we're going to start slowly." she started explaining. "Then as we get the hang of things we might start to go faster. So you're going to…"

Cole listened to his mother intensely. Following her movements as they moved up the rocky cliffside together. His fingers and feet easily found small ledges popping up and with a little bit of effort he hoisted himself up.

There. A small ledge stood out a little bit out of his reach. He made himself as tall as he could his fingertips brushing it before he fell.

Cole screamed ready to fall, just as he had during the performance. But instead, to his death.

That's when he felt the yank of his safety harness.

"Cole, you're okay sweetie. You're alright."

He hadn't fallen more than a foot as the harness had caught him his mother gripped the rope and heaved him up to where they were and proceeded.

She grunted, "There. Reach for that."

Cole found his footing, and there to the right of where he had been reaching was another ledge closer to him.

Hmm. Cole could've sworn that wasn't there before. He gripped it, let out a breath, and proceeded to climb.

o0O0o

The rest of the way up was without accident. Cole let out a grunt of effort as he pulled himself onto the cliff his mother had pointed out earlier.

He let out an exhausted breath collapsing onto the ground in a star shape. His mother followed behind him and easily stepped onto the platform.

She took a seat next to her son offering him the water bottle that had been strapped to her harness.

Cole sat up accepting it. The cool water made its way down his parched throat. He handed it back to his mom who took a swig.

She stared forward and let out a deep breath. She wrapped a strong arm around Cole. "You can see forever up here."

Cole followed her gaze and his breath caught.

He could see tree tops, cars along the road they had been driving on and then Ninjago City.

Buildings and lights towering over in a beautiful spectacle.

Ninjago city was not at all far from his house, but it looked ten times better and more vast.

"Wow." He said finding his breath.

His mom laughed. "It is wow, isn't it? She took his small hand and pressed it against the wall of rock beside them.

"Close your eyes Cole. Do you feel that?:

Cole closed his eyes breathing. The rocky surface under his palm. Earth.

"Do you feel the strength and peace of this mountain?"

"I feel it mommy." He breathed softly. "I feel it!"

"It's just like you. Strong, beautiful. One day when you're older we'll climb the whole way up."

Tears suddenly started welling up in his eyes. He sniffed wiping his eyes with the back of his hands.

"Cole?" His mother asked with concern.

Cole started crying and with that words were pouring out of his mouth. "I couldn't do it mommy. I-I let everyone down. I let my quartet down, I let Daddy down-" he started sobbing harder, "I-I wasn't good enough!" He wailed.

Cole's mother hurriedly embraced her little boy. "Oh sweetie." She said, tearing up as well. "You're always good enough for me." She pulled away, holding him at shoulder length and looking him right in the eyes. "Look at yourself. You're beautiful baby. You're the best seven year old dancer in Ninjago! You climbed this mountain!" She hugged him again. "You never give up and I am so proud of you."

Cole sniffed burying his face into the warmth of his mother. He gripped the back of her shirt not wanting to let go.

"You're such a trooper baby. Look how far you made it up this mountain." She stroked his hair. "You're a climber Cole. You are a climber."

**whoop! hope you all enjoyed this i might do a similar oneshot for Kai Jay and maybe Zane Lloyd and Nya. Review and give me some advice would you?**


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